Well, it's done! My Final final exam! While I don't have a commencement ceremony for another couple of weeks, I'm finished with all the work and the classes that I needed to complete my Bachelor's degree!
To celebrate, I thought that I would compile a list of some very noteworthy comments that one of my professors (the same from this post -- I took another of his literature classes) has made throughout the semester.
Anyhoo, here are the quotations!
*****
"At this rate, it's going to take me three and a half hours to get through the syllabus -- and my espresso is nearly empty!"
"Oh, the power of nineteenth century capitalism!"
"You can look that up in any biology textbook...basic dragonology."
"As you can see, I cannot multitask."
*talking about Chaucer's Troilus and Crisedye* "It disturbs me sometimes how much middle school works as an analogy for this piece."
"Maybe I should set things up more, but I won't."
"I'm about to do something cruel and unusual to you...I'm asking you to do in-class writing."
*about computers and Zoom meetings* "Oh, I forgot about that feature -- what a very silly thing."
*again about his computer* "Oh what a blessed machine!"
"I'm going to expect you to use italics and quotations and punctuation correctly."
*talking about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight* "He's GREEN, for goodness' sake...we don't know WHAT'S going to happen when we slap him."
"In Britain, commas go outside the quotation mark. In the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, they go inside, and that's just the Frickin' Way It Is. And I have to agree, it's stupid."
"I condone writing in books...I have even on occasion written in library books to mark errors for future readers."
*about his own writing in a sample essay* "This is also, I have to say, a really good paper."
"I tried to get clever here...and then, of course, as always, a mistake."
"I won't say poorly done, I'll say economical."
*at his computer again* "Once again proving my mastery of technology...."
"I won't put you to sleep, but neither will I sing and dance."
"This class is filled with fascinating information, and if anyone is still awake I shall now proceed."
Well, 2020 was a year full of surprises, certainly. In late December, we had our last surprise of the year, and that surprise was definitely the best!
We took this picture the day that we found out we are going to be parents! Baby Black is due on September third, 2021!!!
Such happiness... :) :)
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." Psalm 127:3-5
Also, if you were wondering...here's an ultrasound from about four weeks ago!
Well, we've made it through 2020, and we've started 2021.
Needless to say, 2020 was quite the year. We have had COVID and all things related (it would take too long to go through them), we have had tragedies, almost had murder hornets, and, to top it off, this was one of the most incredibly politically charged years that I have ever experienced. The stakes were high in this election, and on both sides, Democrat and Republican, anger, hatred, and malice were spewed all over social media, in conversations, and by those who would, despite their actions, claim that "loving your neighbor as yourself" is the second great commandment given to us by Jesus (Matthew 22:36-40).
Am I innocent of this over-obsession with politics? No. And it's sad.
I'm not going to get too far into my own political opinions, but I have seen so much hate, both from the Right and the Left, by people who profess Christianity. Many of us seem to forget that, in the end, whatever president sits in the White House is the president who has been elected inside of God's supreme authority, power, and inside of God's sovereign plan -- even if we disagree with everything that a president or a candidate says, in the end, as long as we are not commanded to disobey God's commandments, all we can do is keep on living and trusting that God does, in fact, have a plan for The United States of America. It might seem messy, confusing, and upsetting to us, but the bottom line is that we aren't God, and we aren't in control. He is.
So, to my friends on the Right side of the political pendulum swing: Don't whine. Yes, express your beliefs, speak out for what you believe, but don't be sore losers. That's how elections work: someone wins, someone loses, and the process repeats every four years. Take a breath and go on with life.
To my friends on the Left side of the political pendulum swing: Don't gloat. Yes, celebrate if you feel like it, be happy by all means, but don't be sore winners. This is how elections work: someone wins, someone loses, and the process repeats every four years. Take a breath and go on with life.
And to all my Christian friends, wherever you lie on the political spectrum, remember God's response to Job. Job went through the worst terrors and trials and tragedies that we could imagine on our human scale. He experienced death and destruction, but was never outside of God's holy control of the universe. Job laments his experiences, seeming to ask God "why has this happened to me?" and in response, God speaks in Job chapters 38-41, asking Job if he controls and understands the world, has power of any type. His speech carries more power and might than any human being, asking Job why he thinks he has any right to question the Creator and Ordainer of all things.
But I cannot do it justice. There is a song that came out several years ago called "Where Were You," which is a powerful summary of that speech and that moment in the book of Job.
In the end, God is still in control, no matter if your political opinions are popular or not, if your party won the election or not. Take a few minutes to listen to this song. I included some excerpts from Job 38-40 below, but I would recommend reading all of chapters 38-42. (ESV Scripture taken from Bible Gateway)
38 Then
the Lord answered Job out of
the whirlwind and said:
2 “Who is this
that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Dress
for actionlike a
man;
I will
question you, and you make it known to me.
4 “Where were you when
I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me,
if you have understanding.
5 Who
determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who
stretched the line upon it?
6 On
what were its bases sunk,
or who
laid its cornerstone,
7 when
the morning stars sang together
and
all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Or who shut in the
sea with doors
when it
burst out from the womb,
9 when
I made clouds its garment
and thick
darkness its swaddling band,
10 and
prescribed limits for it
and set
bars and doors,
11 and
said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here
shall your proud waves be stayed’?
12 “Have you commanded
the morning since your days began,
and
caused the dawn to know its place,
13 that
it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
and the
wicked be shaken out of it?
14 It
is changed like clay under the seal,
and its
features stand out like a garment.
15 From
the wicked their light is withheld,
and their
uplifted arm is broken.
16 “Have you entered
into the springs of the sea,
or
walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the
gates of death been revealed to you,
or have
you seen the gates of deep darkness?
18 Have
you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
Declare,
if you know all this.
19 “Where is the way to the
dwelling of light,
and
where is the place of darkness,
20 that
you may take it to its territory
and that
you may discern the paths to its home?
21 You
know, for you were born then,
and the
number of your days is great!
22 “Have you
entered the storehouses of the snow,
or have
you seen the storehouses of the hail,
23 which
I have reserved for the time of trouble,
for the
day of battle and war?
24 What
is the way to the place where the light is distributed,
or where
the east wind is scattered upon the earth?
25 “Who has cleft a channel
for the torrents of rain
and a
way for the thunderbolt,
26 to
bring rain on a land where no man is,
on the
desert in which there is no man,
27 to
satisfy the waste and desolate land,
and to
make the ground sprout with grass?
28 “Has the rain a
father,
or who
has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From
whose womb did the ice come forth,
and who
has given birth to the frost of heaven?
30 The
waters become hard like stone,
and the
face of the deep is frozen.
31 “Can you bind the chains
of the Pleiades
or loose
the cords of Orion?
32 Can
you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season,
or can
you guide the Bear with its children?
33 Do
you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you
establish their rule on the earth?
34 “Can you lift up your
voice to the clouds,
that a
flood of waters may cover you?
35 Can
you send forth lightnings, that they may go
A long, long time ago, my grandmother taught me the very most basic knitting steps. She taught me how to knit a stitch, how to cast on, and how to bind off. With those skills, I knitted several washcloths, a couple of scarfs, and maybe a winter headband or two.
In the past couple of months, my part-time job has gone away (don't worry, it'll come back...it's a COVID shutdown thing....), so I have had a lot of extra downtime on my hands! With that downtime, I have rekindled a love for knitting!! The very last day I worked, I picked up a few "how-to" guidebooks from the library, stopped at the crafts store for some yarn, and attempted to knit a hat.
.....
That hat failed.
However, after a few attempts, I made a slightly crooked, uneven cap, which was a bit small for me but fits my little brother perfectly!
The very first hat...a little crooked and a bit small on me, but still quite functional!
From then on, I went into a knitting frenzy!!! I became more familiar with the craft store's yarn aisles than I ever thought I would be, and then my husband's coworker donated a great deal of high-quality yarn that she had no use for, which was MUCH appreciated!
Anyhoo, this post is to share my knitting projects (most of which were Christmas presents) with you and ask if any other fellow knitters out there have favorite patterns or ideas they would like to share! :)
The second thing I knitted was this red hat, which was done in about 4 hours and was super easy! (Sorry about the bad photo quality...my phone is not the best for pictures!)
After that, I attempted a pair of hand warmers and a couple more hats...
I really like this classic black beanie...
And THEN it was time to attempt something new...I had learned knitting in the round, mastered the knit and purl and knit/purl combination stitches, but then I attempted learning how to cable knit, on this scarf for my mother and hat for my mother-in-law:
Those were both fun challenges! It turns out that cable knit, while it can be time consuming, is not quite as difficult as it looks!
Last but not least, I shall leave you with the last hat I made, and a picture of my yarn basket under our Christmas tree. It was a cozy, peaceful hobby, and I am very glad that I picked up the needles and yarn again. Here's to a New Year filled with more knitting projects!! :)
I think this was my favorite hat...I really liked the pattern.
The other day, I was asked by a friend if I had any advice about getting novels published, or if I had any advice about using Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing service. The question caught me a little off-guard, so I took a day to think about it before I sent back my answer.
(Yes, I dabbled a bit in KDP publishing, but as of right now, I have decided that self-publishing is probably not the way that I want to go with my writing career. Lately, I have been researching and querying over the past few months. So far, my queries have been unsuccessful or I have never gotten a response.)
But as I was seriously thinking about the topic, a lot of different thoughts and useful tips that I have either gathered from experience, from writing professors, or from research popped into my mind, so I sat down and wrote a bunch of advice, trying to tell this person what I wish I had known much earlier as a writer.
Since this blog was mainly started as an outlet for my writing and such, I figured I would post this (rather long) list of advice and explanations, just so that anyone who is thinking about publishing (whether traditionally or self-published) can have it for reference! In no particular order, here we go!
#1. Know the different types of publishing.
First, there is standard “traditional” publishing through an established publishing company, usually via a literary agent. Then there is Amazon’s KDP publishing, which, at the other end of the spectrum, is totally self-serve and self-published — no review process or editors or anything. Lastly, there are “hybrid” models. I’ve heard mixed reviews on those, though, so I would approach them with caution -- these are the websites that say "we'll publish your book! You can be in control, but we'll do the heavy lifting!" or that make you enter an email "if you're interested," prior to spamming you with eight emails a day. A lot of them claim to be “the best for your book if you don’t want to self-publish but don’t want to bother with agents and such,” and maybe that’s right for some people, but I tend to be wary of companies with few or no reviews by previous users. There's something that just doesn't feel right to me.
#2. If traditional publishing is the way you want to go eventually, then your best bet is to first find a literary agent who knows how the technical aspect of communicating and making a deal with publishers works.
A lot of agents work for specific publishers, so they have an “in” to get your work published after review and all that fun stuff. An agent will work with you to get your work published by a reputable company, making you a professional author, not a "self-published" one. As a writer who isn’t established in the field, try looking for a junior agent or an agent who is still building a list of people to represent! To find agents, simply Google publishing companies and their agents, read the bios, and send off emails or letters accordingly. It can be tricky and very intimidating, but hey, the worst that can happen is them saying "no" to you. You might as well try! Just stay away from querying to agents who represent big name authors -- you're not going to, as an unpublished writer, query to Stephen King's agent, if you know what I mean.
(There was a book published this year called “Guide to Literary Agents 2020," which looks helpful! It looks like it gives you different agents and what they are looking for -- I would check your local library website for it and other similar resources! I'm guessing there'll be a 2021 version published soon.)
#3. Amazon or similar “self serve” publishing services are great if they have all you need!
If you just want to be able to have copies to share with family and friends, or if you’re willing to be your own advertising campaign manager and constantly plug your works, then Amazon is great! It gives you total control over your formatting, editing, and publishing options, lets you publish ebooks and paperbacks, and isn't bad quality at all! I know that a lot of writers (especially those who got started as bloggers or writing fan fiction) succeed as self-published authors, mainly because they put a huge effort into advertising and promoting their stuff. But if being a recognized author is a goal (i.e. walking into Barnes and Noble to see your book on display), then using KDP is going to be a lot trickier in the endgame, even though it is easier to get started that way.
#4. Write a query letter/pitch!!!!
Even if you don’t send out queries to any agents and you decide to self-publish, condensing your book into one or two paragraphs (or less) is a valuable thing to be able to do. You need to have your story condensed so that when somebody asks "well, what's your book about?" you can explain without rambling on and on, losing their focus. I have taken a couple screenwriting courses, and learning about pitching a movie to a producer is really similar to the skills that a writer needs to pitch a book to an agent/publisher. You have to be able to explain WHY your story is a story worth an agent’s/publisher's time, or why that person browsing Amazon should buy your book and not one of the thousands of other self-published books. Without being snobbish, you have to say "my book is the best one you've seen today, and you should pick it up." Learning to do that takes time and practice!
In addition, if you're querying agents, you can make slight changes to a basic query letter that speaks to the specific things that different agents look for. Maybe one is looking for character-driven stories, and another is looking for stories set in a futuristic world -- so if your story is both, then make sure to cater to those specifics. For the first agent, lean on the fact that it's character-driven, but for the second, lean on the futuristic setting.
(If you have time, look up “the One-minute pitch” lecture by a screenwriter, Pilar Alessandra. It’s a great tool to compress your story into what’s really happening and what really matters -- hopefully it's available on the open web!)
#5. Be patient.
With Amazon: you’ll have to be patient with the monotonous and dreadful self-editing and formatting nonsense. They have tools to help you, but to get it how you want your story to look, it takes a lot of trial and error and re-doing of things!
With agents? They may not write you back in less than 3 months, if ever. I sent out four queries in March and have only heard back (a polite refusal) from one of them so far.
#6. Along with being patient, don’t be discouraged.
Most agents aren’t sitting in their offices, cackling, rubbing their hands together, and saying "Mwahahaha, I’ll refuse this manuscript to spite this person!” No, they’re busy people who are just trying to do their job and put bread on the table for themselves and their families -- just like you. Maybe your story just didn’t vibe with them that day -- it doesn’t mean that your story is bad, just that you might not have the same tastes, or you might need to re-work how you're presenting the story.
Save your refusal letters, don't trash them! Most authors aren’t accepted on the first try, or even the thirty-first try! Don’t get dragged down into a funk because you got refused by a few agents or even a hundred agents — these things happen to everyone. The key to becoming successful is to never give up trying.
#7. If you’re sending queries (and I can't stress this enough), DO THE FORMATTING CORRECTLY!
Little things like spelling or punctuation errors, or clunky professional writing, can throw off an agent. As a student writer, I've done a lot of peer reviews, and it's incredibly difficult to see a good story or good ideas through a messy layer of technical issues -- it's a distraction, it seems super unprofessional, and detracts from the actual content of a story.
Put the information in the letter that the agents ask for -- don't leave things out that they want, and don't go overboard on extras. Keep your tone professional and polite, but also strong. Also, as I mentioned earlier, different agents look for different info and details in your letter; make sure you read up on their submission requests and submit accordingly.
#8. Last but not least, don’t give up!!!
This is a TON of information (by no means comprehensive), and it looks overwhelming at first! Also, these are just my personal opinions, what I've found helpful, and maybe something totally opposite of what I've said will work better for you. By all means, work however works for you!
If I can be of any further help, or if any of this needs more clarification, let me know!
A little white ago, I was tagged by Miss March for this timely Christmas tag! Thankfully, I was able to get it done just before Christmas, so enjoy! (But first, scroll down to #7 for some Christmas music links to set the mood!)
1. A favorite Christmas tradition?
Hmmm...I think our church's annual Christmas Eve concert is a great tradition. It really puts me in the right mindset for Christmas Day, instead of focusing on the secular Christmas things like presents and parties -- of course I'm still thankful and I still enjoy those things, but having that church service the night before, full of Christmas hymns and the truth of Jesus' birth, really helps me not to get carried away in the world's way of celebrating.
2. Say it snowed at your domicile, would you prefer to go out or stay curled up inside?
Depends on the type of snow, you see...if it's fluffy, powdery, dry snow, then I love to get outside and just walk in it!! Especially if it's a cloudy, gray day -- the kind of snow where everything is silent, but your voice seems like it could carry a hundred miles, when everything is just a blank white sheet over the world is the BEST! But if it's too sunny and the snow is all soggy and wet, then nah, I'll stay inside, thank you very much!
I took this picture a year or a few back...my favorite type of snow!
3. Tea or hot chocolate?
At Christmastime? Hot chocolate, definitely. (But I do have some peppermint chocolate tea that's pretty tasty as well...)
4. Favorite Christmas colors (i.e. white, blue, silver, gold, red and green etc)?
Ooooh...tricky question. I really like the buffalo plaid/woodland Christmas theme, and that's half of how our home is currently decorated... but we are leaning more toward a red/gold/white theme, with plenty of evergreen sprigs around to liven things up! That scheme can include our old plaid stuff and incorporate lots more new things.
These are all, sadly, not mine...but they are the kind of "palette" I like to work with
5. Favorite kind of Christmas cookie?
Very good question. I would say "all of the above," but that would kind of defeat the question...I really like gingerbread. I don't eat it often, but homemade ginger cookies are absolutely delicious. (Honestly, any homemade Christmas cookies are absolutely delicious...)
Some cookies from last years' baking day with my in-laws! :)
6. How soon before Christmas do you decorate (more specifically, when does your tree go up)?
Anytime after Thanksgiving is fair game! I usually refuse to decorate until December 1st, but as long as Thanksgiving is over, it really just depends on when I feel like decorating.
3. "What Child is This" (yes I know Miss March already chose this one, but it deserves to be chosen again!)
4. There are SO MANY MORE! But I shall limit myself.
8. A favorite Christmas song (i.e. something you might hear on the radio)?
"The Christmas Waltz" is a good one! I like a lot of classic, Sinatra-esque Christmas music, so this is probably my favorite rendition:
9. A favorite Christmas movie?
The Nativity Story. I know some people who debate about this one and whether it's really good or not, but I think the depiction of Mary and Joseph as such real and tangible people is really excellent. Maybe the theology isn't the greatest, but as far as "Bible movies" go, that one is by far my favorite. (But my other favorite is It's a Wonderful Life, if you were curious...)
10. Have you ever gone caroling?
Yes I have! I used to carol a lot with my family -- for a few years, we had a tradition of caroling for our immediate neighbors and handing them a plate of goodies.
11. Ice skating, sledding, skiing, or snow boarding?
Ice skating!!!!! I could skate for hours on end if someone let me...which reminds me, I need to get my skates sharpened!
Also not me...but those skates are similar to my own.
12. Favorite Christmas feast dish?
I have a soft spot for sweet potatoes...which may sound weird, but it's true. I have always loved sweet potatoes/yams...so there you have it!
Thanks again to Miss March for tagging me! Since I've been kind of out of the blogging loop, I don't know who has already been tagged and who has not, so I'm not going to officially tag anybody...but feel free to steal this! Consider yourself tagged if you would like to answer these, and let me know! :)
Merry Christmas!!!
The ski lodge gingerbread house that me and my husband made! :)
As I am catching up on my blog posts, I remembered a tag that was forgotten! Quite a while back (like 9 months back, cough cough), the lovely Mem tagged me for the Stationery Tag !!!
Without further ado, I shall fill out the questions! (Sorry if the photos are a bit grainy, but I don't have a great camera on my phone...or a great camera, at all.)
1. What's the most recent thing you've bought for your stash?
I think it would be these adorable little hedgehog notecards! I saw them in the store and just couldn't pass them up. :)
2. What's your favorite notebook and favorite pencil/pen?
Oooh...tricky question...hmm...well, there are different types of favorites, ya know what I mean? But, overall, I think this notebook is my favorite. It's leather, very heavy and sturdy, and it's great for writing! I'll probably be able to fit a whole novel in it.
As far as practical pens go, I really enjoy writing with TUL fine point black gel ink pens (these), but for the coolness factor, this one is my favorite!
It's even got a little stand thingy!!
3. If you DIY your notebooks or pens, what's the best one you've done? (If you haven't, just tell us what you would DIY if you had the skillz.)
I have not DIYed any notebooks or pens... :( But I've been knitting lately, and I saw a pattern for a notebook with a knitted cover, so I might try that someday!
4. Do you have any cute erasers? If you do, let's see them!
Sadly, I don't... :( But that doesn't mean I don't WANT them!!!!
5. What's the piece of stationery you have but don't use because it's too nice?
Technically not stationery...but this Pride and Prejudice pen set is something that I love to have in my collection but I'm too scared to use...I don't want to mess it up!!
6. And finally, show us your full stationery collection. If you want, you can even include numbers.
Ta daa!!! This probably isn't my full stash, but it's what I could find. Now that I'm married, it's really difficult to distinguish between my husband's stuff and mine sometimes...not to mention that some of my old stuff is in storage, so I couldn't give you an exact number if I wanted to! But that's it!
Anyhoo, thanks for bearing with my many-month-late post, Mem and everyone else! Since it was so late, I'm not tagging anybody, but I did enjoy this post!
